A miscellany like Grandma’s attic in Taunton, MA or Mission Street's Thrift Town in San Francisco or a Council, ID yard sale in cloudy mid April or a celestial roadmap no one folded—you take your pick.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

"White Flour"

We’ve been promoting David LaMotte’s Kickstarter project for an illustrated children’s book based on his poem “White Flour” this month—thanks to my friend & blog co-conspirator Barbie Angell for suggesting this! I’m happy to announce that David LaMotte’s Kickstarter is fully funded, & that the book will have an initial printing of 10,000 copies. However, additional pledges will help keep this a viable, ongoing project, plus you can get really cool stuff!

With David laMotte’s blessing, we’re posting both the text of the poem plus the promotional video for the project. If you’d like more information about David LaMotte, please visit his website, & also read Barbie Angell’s excellent write up about him last week on Robert Frost’s Banjo!

Thanks!

White Flour

The day was bright and sunny as most May days tend to beIn the hills of Appalachia, down in Knoxville, TennesseeA dozen men put on their suits and quickly took their placesIn white robes and those tall and pointed hoods that hid their faces

Their feet fell down in rhythm as they started their paradeThey raised their fists into the air, they bellowed and they brayedThey loved to stir the people up, they loved when they were tauntedThey didn’t mind the anger—it’s exactly what they wanted

As they came around the corner, sure enough the people roaredBut they couldn’t quite believe their ears, it seemed to be… support!Had Knoxville finally seen the light? Were people coming ‘round?The men thought for a moment that they’d found their kind of town

But then they turned their eyes to where the cheering had its sourceAs one their shoulders crumpled when they saw the mighty forceThe crowd had painted faces and some had tacky clothesTheir hair and hats outrageous, each had a red foam nose

The clowns had come in numbers to enjoy the grand paradeThey laughed and danced that other clowns had come to town that dayAnd then the marchers shouted, and the clowns all strained to hearEach one tuned in intently with a gloved hand to an ear

“White power!” screamed the marchers, and they raised their fisted handsThe clowns leaned in and listened like they couldn’t understandThen one held up his finger and helped all the others seeThe point of all this yelling, and they joined right in with glee

“White flour!” the clowns shouted, and they reached inside their clothesThey pulled out bags and tore them and huge clouds of powder roseThey poured it on each other and they threw it in the airIt got all over baggy clothes and multi-colored hair

Now all but just a few of them were joining in the jokesYou could almost see the marchers turning red beneath white cloaksThey wanted to look scary. They wanted to look tough.One rushed right at the clowns in rage and was hauled away in cuffs

But the others chanted louder, marching on around the bendThe clowns all marched on too, of course, supporting their new friends“White power!” came the marchers’ cry. They were not amused.The clowns grew still and thoughtful. Well... perhaps they’d been confused?

They huddled and consulted, this bright and silly crowdThey listened quite intently, then one said “I’ve got it now!”“White flowers!” screamed the happy clown, and all the rest joined inThe air was filled with flowers, and they laughed and danced again

“Everyone loves flowers, and white’s a pretty sortI can’t think of a better cause for people to support!”Green flower stems went flying like small arrows from bad archersWhite petals covered everything, including the mad marchers

And then a very tall clown called the others to attentionHe choked down all his chuckles and said “Friends I have to mentionThat what with all this mirth and fun it’s sort of hard to hearBut now I know the cause that these paraders hold so dear...

“Tight showers!” the clown blurted and he hit his head in wonderHe held up a camp shower and the others all got underOr at least they tried to get beneath, they strained but couldn’t quiteThere wasn’t room for all of them. They pushed, but it was tight.

“White Power!” came the mad refrain, quite carefully pronouncedThe clowns consulted once again, then a woman clown announced“I’ve got it! I’m embarrassed that it took so long to see,But what these marchers march for is a cause quite dear to me!”

“Wife power!” she exclaimed and all the other clowns joined inThey shook their heads and laughed at how erroneous they’d beenThe women clowns were hoisted up on shoulders of the othersSome pulled on wedding dresses, chanting “Here’s to wives and mothers!”

The men in robes were sullen, and they knew they’d been defeatedThey yelled a few more times and then they finally retreatedAnd when they’d gone a motorcycle cop called to the clownsAnd offered them an escort through the center of the town

The day was bright and sunny as most May days tend to beIn the hills of Appalachia down in Knoxville, TennesseePeople joined the new parade. The crowd stretched out for milesThe clowns passed out more flowers and made everybody smile

And what would be the lesson of that shiny southern day?Can we understand the message that the clowns sought to convey?Seems that when you’re fighting hatred, hatred’s not the thing to useSo here’s to those who march on in their big red floppy shoes

CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE

All original text, music & pictures are licensed under a Creative Commons license. Please feel free to use them (not for profit) as long as you acknowledge the source & make them available under similar "share-alike" terms. This includes all works by John Hayes, Eberle Umbach (including original works by The Alice in Wonder Band, Five & Dime Jazz & The Bijou Orchestrette), Audrey Bilger, Brittany Newmark, L.E. Leone, Barbie Dockstader Angell, Nancy Krygowski, Carmen Leone, Mairi Graham-Shaw, AK Barkley, John Hayes, Sr., Sheila Graham-Smith & any other original work as may appear here down the line (we're hoping!)